V.
_A DAY WITH MAGGIE AND BESSIE._
Mabel herself had some doubts as to the reception she should meet withif she went to Mrs. Bradford's; and when her mother first proposedit, refused to go. Daphne, who had heard the story from Belle, hadnot failed to let Mabel know that this lady and her little girls werethe friends with whom she had met her cousin yesterday; and had alsodrawn a very vivid picture of the disgust and dislike with which suchbehavior as hers was always regarded in their family.
So, as I have said, Mabel at first refused to go near them; but findingit dull in the hotel with only the two nurses for company, as hermamma and uncle had gone out, she changed her mind and declared thatshe would go to Mrs. Bradford's "to see what it is like, and only stayjust as long as I'm a mind to."
"And yer needn't think you'll disappint nobody but yerself if yer comeaway, little miss," said Daphne, spitefully; for Mabel's new whim didnot please her at all, and she would much rather she should have keptto her first decision, and not have bestowed her company where the oldwoman thought it little desired.
However, she did not dare, much as she would have liked to do so, torefuse to show Mabel and her nurse the way to Mrs. Bradford's house;but she revenged herself by leading them by the longest road and leastpleasant way. But this, however much it pleased Daphne, did no hurt toMabel, since she enjoyed the walk and had no idea of Daphne's object.
"I'se brought you a Tartar," was the old colored woman's whisperedintroduction to Mrs. Bradford's nurse when they entered the nursery;and mammy, too, looked askance at the stranger, who immediatelyperceived that she was not too welcome.
But before she had time to turn about again and say that she would notstay, Maggie came running from the play-room; and putting all shynessand prejudice out of mind, she went up to Mabel, took her by the hand,and said kindly,--
"We have to feel a little acquainted with you before we know you,because you are Belle's cousin; and she is our inseparable. Come intothe play-room. You came so late it is 'most time for our dinner, but wewill have a good play afterwards."
Such a long, friendly speech to any stranger, even one of her own age,was a great effort for Maggie; but for Belle's sake she wanted to makeMabel comfortable, and put her on her good behavior at once. And shesucceeded; for the pout passed from Mabel's lip and the frown from herbrow, as she said,--
"Yes, we will; and see what a big box of sugar-plums I have brought.We'll eat them all up."
"If mamma gives us leave; but I am quite sure she will not," saidMaggie to herself, and then said aloud,--
"We might play with them, and you shall be the store-woman if you like."
"Yes, so we will," said Mabel. "Didn't Belle try to make you mad at me?She's as mad as any thing at me herself, and won't speak to me, when Inever did a thing to her."
"Oh! she's all over that now," said Maggie, wisely noticing only thelast part of Mabel's speech. "She and Bessie are putting on the dolls'best suits for you. Come and see them."
And half-ashamed, half-defiant, Mabel followed her little hostess intothe play-room to greet Bessie and Belle.
If Mabel was a little shame-faced, Belle was still more so; for she wasnot accustomed to behave in the way she had done that morning, and herconscience was more tender than Mabel's. But now that she had resolvedto do better she would not let shame stand in her way; and going rightup to Mabel, she said,--
"Let's kiss and make up, Mabel. I'm sorry I was so cross this morning."
"And will you let me have your playthings?" asked Mabel, as sheaccepted Belle's offered kiss.
"To look at and play with, but not to keep," answered Belle. "I'll evenlet you have my carved animals--if you will be careful," she added,determined not to stop half way in her effort to make peace.
And now came mamma, rather expecting to find the little ones awkwardand uncomfortable together after all that had passed; but lo! all waspeace and sunshine. Her Bessie, it is true, watched the young strangerwith serious eyes, and had on her _disapproving_ look; for Bessie hadbeen more shocked than it would be easy to tell by Mabel's misbehaviorof the day before, and found it hard work to forget it. If Mabel hadbeen some poor, ragged, neglected child, with no one to care for her,and many a temptation in her way, Bessie would have been the firstone to make excuses for her, and to say that nothing better could beexpected from her; but that any little girl who had loving friends andall manner of comforts and pleasures about her should be so perverseand troublesome, seemed to her out of all reason and hardly to beforgiven.
Still, though she wore her demure little manner, she was very politeto Mabel, and as ready as Maggie to show all her dolls and othertreasures. Mabel too, being pleased and amused, was on her goodbehavior; and all was going smoothly.
Before long the children were called to their dinner. Mabel lookeddisdainfully at the nice but simple food which was set before them,and refused this, that, and the other thing, saying she did "not likethem."
"But you will be hungry before you go home if you do not eat now, mydear," said Mrs. Bradford.
"I'm waiting for something better," said Mabel; at which piece ofrudeness all the other children, including even little Frankie, openedtheir eyes in wonder.
"You will have nothing else except some plain dessert," said Mrs.Bradford.
Mabel pouted, pushed her plate from her, and kicked with her feet uponthe legs of her chair; but the lady took no notice, although the threelittle girls could not help exchanging looks and biting their lips, toexpress to one another their disapproval of such conduct.
But to Frankie, who was blessed with an uncommonly fine appetite, thisrefusal to partake of a good meal seemed a most extraordinary andunheard-of thing; so, after staring at her with a pitying look for somemoments, and vainly offering her every dainty within his reach, evento "de nice brown stin off my sweet potato," he seemed convinced thatshe was only naughty, and set about correcting her.
"Did oo ever see Willum what is in 'Slovenly Peter' boot?" he asked.
The only answer he received was a pettish shrug of Mabel's shouldersand a fresh kick upon the chair.
"'Tause he was lite oo, and wouldn't eat his soup," said MasterFrankie, with an air of stern reproof; "an' oo will be lite him, an''when de fif day tame, alas! dey laid oo in de dround.'"
Which proved too much for the gravity of his little sisters and Belle,who thought this extremely funny; and, in spite of Mabel's scowl, wentoff into peals of merry laughter.
Mabel hoped and expected that Mrs. Bradford, seeing she would not eatwhat was set before her, would send for some more dainty and richerfood; but she soon found this was not to be, and that the lady did noteven appear to trouble herself because she would not eat. This wassomething quite new to Mabel, who was surprised as well as displeasedat Mrs. Bradford's unconcern.
When the dessert was put upon the table, there was a plain rice puddingand a small dish of bright clear jelly.
"I'll take jelly," said Mabel, not waiting till she was asked, as apolite child would have done.
Mrs. Bradford quietly helped each child to a portion of the pudding andsome jelly, leaving but little of the latter in the dish.
Mabel ate up her jelly as fast as possible, keeping her eye all thewhile on what remained in the dish; and as soon as she had finished herown, thrust out her plate, saying,--
"More, please."
Mrs. Bradford gave it to her without a word; but Frankie, encouraged bythe applause with which his first reproof had been received, thoughthimself called upon for another.
Frankie pinned his faith on "Slovenly Peter;" knew it all by heart,quoted from it on all occasions, and drew from it lessons and examplessuitable to himself and others.
"Dere's anoder boy named Jatob in 'Slovenly Peter,'" he said severely:"he was so dweedy dat he brote hisself in two. I s'pose you'll be litehim," he added, not at all disturbed by the want of similarity betweenthe two unhappy fates he had predicted for Mabel.
And Mabel felt somewhat abashed when she sa
w how her greediness hadstruck this little boy, who she could not but see behaved far betterthan herself.
"Mamma," said Bessie, "would you rather I should not eat the raisins inmy pudding?"
"Well, yes, darling, I think you had better not as you were not verywell this morning," said her mother.
Again Mabel was surprised. She knew very well that she would haverebelled against such an order, and had her own way too; but here wasthis little girl not only submitting quietly and cheerfully to whatMabel looked upon as a hardship, but actually asking if it was hermother's wish. It was something quite new to Mabel.
Had Bessie talked to her for an hour about her greedy, wilful ways,it would not have done one half the good that the example of her ownsimple regard to her mother's wishes did. And Mabel looked at Bessie,then down upon her plate, then raised her eyes to Bessie's again, withsome admiration mingled with the wonder in them; and little Belle, whowas watching her cousin, said to herself,--
"Now, I just b'lieve Bessie is a sunbeam, showing Mabel the right, bestway to mind her mother; but Bessie don't know she did it."
Quite right, little Belle! And it was not the first ray of light whichhad fallen that day upon Mabel's wilful and selfish but not hardenedyoung spirit. Already was she beginning to wonder what these children,so obedient and docile, must think of her, and to feel ashamed of herconduct before them.
For some time past a favorite practice of the three littlegirls,--Maggie, Bessie, and Belle,--had been to draw what they called"proverb-pictures."
This was an invention of Maggie's, and was considered by the childrenan unfailing source not only of amusement, but also of profit. For allmanner of useful hints and gentle moral lessons were supposed to beconveyed in these pictures; and if one noticed any thing in the conductor speech of another which did not seem exactly proper, she would makea proverb-picture, and kindly present it to the short-comer.
At first a proverb had always been taken as a foundation for thesepictures, and Maggie manufactured a good many for the purpose: hencetheir name; but after a while they were sometimes drawn withoutreference to any particular maxim or saying, and suited only to theneed of the moment.
And I am bound to say that they answered their intended purpose: suchhints, if needed, were always taken in good part and seldom neglected;indeed, it was considered rather a treat to receive one, especiallyfrom Maggie, and each little girl treasured those which were given toher with great care, and frequently studied them over.
Nor were they considered only as a means of mild reproof or gentlepersuasion to do right; but many a little incident and scene of theirdaily lives were represented, and all these formed to their thinking avery interesting collection.
It is true that the pictures generally needed considerable explanation,not only to other friends who might be treated to a sight of them, butalso to one another; but this was really a part of the pleasure, andafforded great satisfaction to the young artists. That is, to Belle andBessie; Maggie was rather shy about doing this, and preferred to labelher pictures, or to write a short explanation beneath.
There could be no doubt that of the three Belle made the bestpictures, indeed they were not bad for a child of her age; and Maggieand Bessie took much pride in what they considered her great talent,and encouraged her to make the most of it, and put it in constantpractice.
So now Maggie bethought herself that it would be well for Belle to tryto do her cousin some good by means of these "proverb-pictures." Shedid not feel intimate enough with her as yet to try to do so herself,but she thought that Belle being such a near relation might very welldo it without giving offence.
When they left the table she drew Belle aside and whispered to her:--
"Belle, wouldn't it be a good plan to try Mabel with someproverb-pictures, and see if they will improve her? You know it's amuch agreeabler way of having a good lesson than being scolded orhaving people mad with you."
"Yes," said Belle: "let's do it now."
"No," said Maggie, "'cause it would be stupid for her while we madethe pictures; besides, I don't think Bessie and I know her well enoughyet, but you might do it when you go home. I composed two proverbs thatmay do her some good, if you like to take them."
"Yes," said Belle: "tell me 'em, Maggie."
"One is, 'The greedy pig don't get much, after all,'" said Maggie.
"Oh, yes!" said Belle, seeing the beauty of the application at once,and much struck with its force.
"And the other," said Maggie, "is, 'All shun a disagreeable child.'"
"What is shun?" asked Belle.
"To run away," answered Maggie.
"Yes," said Belle, thoughtfully: "those will make very nice pictures,Maggie. I'll take 'em. Say 'em again, 'fear I forget;" and she repeatedthe new "proverbs" over several times after Maggie, and for theremainder of the afternoon her mind was much occupied with plans formaking fine drawings of them for her cousin's benefit.